Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I strongly support amendment No. 13 on tying the payment of rent supplement to registration with the PRTB. Linking them would be a sensible, progressive and caring way to help those in receipt of the rent supplement. They need our support and that of society. The majority are trying to get on with their lives against the odds. Like Deputy Morgan, I have encountered many sad and lonely cases. As legislators, we and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs have a statutory duty to protect them.

Some landlords are involved in this matter. Of those I know, the majority treat their rent supplement tenants in a decent and caring way, but they are being done a disservice by the landlords exploiting the situation. In recent weeks, I dealt with serious anti-social issues involving threats of violence against owners, neighbours and so on. This side of the story must be addressed. If tenants are misbehaving, they must be challenged about their behaviour, particularly if they are in receipt of taxpayers' money. Given that we all have experience of similar situations, it is important to mention them.

Regarding the broader rent supplement issue, we must consider our housing policy. While I was a councillor in Dublin City Council in 1999, a small number of fantastic projects to house senior citizens and rent supplement tenants were commenced and worked successfully. A number of people in their 50s and early 60s were in receipt of rent supplement payments but had been on the housing list for flats in senior citizen complexes for seven or eight years. This matter should be examined.

Councillors also encountered a number of quality rent supplement recipients living on their own who would have been ideal candidates to be placed in charge of senior citizen complexes in Donnycarney, Coolock or Marino in my constituency. We must be creative. Some people in receipt of the supplement are so talented or have so many skills that it is not good enough to leave them locked in their little bedsits on their own. I encourage the Minister to consider imaginative ways to address the issue.

In the past six months, the national and international economies have changed in terms of regulation. Two years ago, "regulation" was a dirty word, but it is now the buzz word; regulation is the only game in town. We must tie these issues together. For example, the amendment states:

The landlord in receipt of a payment of a supplement towards the amount of rent payable of a tenant shall, as soon as practicable, submit to the Health Service Executive the registration details of the tenancy where registration is required by section 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2004.

This is the important section, in that it calls for greater responsibility and clarity in the interests of the person in receipt of a rent supplement payment.

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